What's Happening

SCOTUS

Court's Out for Summer — But Not Before Delivering for Trump

What's going on: If there's one thing SCOTUS has in common with your least favorite coworker, it's dropping a bombshell and then going on PTO. On Friday, in one of its most consequential decisions, the Court ruled that individual federal judges can no longer issue nationwide injunctions — a tool often used to halt presidential policies nationwide while legal challenges play out. At the same time, the justices left unresolved the legality of Trump’s controversial executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented parents. Beyond immigration, the Court’s final cases also included decisions upholding religious parents’ rights to opt children out of LGBTQIA-themed school books, preserving key parts of Obamacare, and maintaining laws that limit kids' access to online pornography.

What it means: This term was a big W for Trump. The Court made it a lot harder for a single judge to slam the brakes on a president’s plans, basically giving the White House a longer runway to push controversial policies while lawsuits crawl through the courts. Closing out, SCOTUS also handed the GOP other legal victories, like upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. But what really defined this term was the Court’s aggressive use of emergency orders to make major decisions on the fly. Rather than handling things the old fashioned way (robes, oral arguments, repeat), the justices jumped into hot-button issues with rushed votes, fewer hearings, and less explanation — all of which sped up controversial outcomes that reshaped policy.

Related: Wait, Which Justice Talked the Most This Term?(WaPo Gift Link)

Health

Where There's Smoke, A Health Epidemic Catches Fire

What's going on: Years after tobacco laws curbed smoking, the US now faces a different kind of smoke crisis — one driven by wildfires. More widespread fires are erasing, and at times reversing, decades of improving air quality in the US, The Atlantic reports. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of people exposed to unhealthy levels of wildfire smoke increased 27-fold (yes, you read that right). As climate experts predict wildfires will only become more frequent and difficult to tame, scientists are sounding the alarm about how little research and policy have addressed the long-term health risks from this growing exposure.

Tell me more: While difficult to research, one study (which looked at a group of people exposed to wildfire smoke for 49 consecutive days) found that the worst health effects, like reduced lung function, didn’t appear immediately but developed over time. For example, immediately after the fire, about 10 percent of those exposed had lung function below normal limits — but a year later, that number jumped to nearly 46 percent. This was based on just one wildfire, but many Americans will likely experience repeated exposure. Stanford researchers warn there’s no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke, which is 10 times more toxic than typical fossil fuel-based pollution. Experts assert now is the time to double down on studying climate change, a view not echoed by the Trump administration.

Related: Suspected Gunman Set Wildfire, Then Killed Two Responding Firefighters in an Ambush (AP)

Politics

The Kids Are Running (for Office)

What's going on: Forget backroom deals and stiff speeches — a new wave of political ambition is rising.More Gen Z and millennial Americans are running for office, aiming to shake up a system still dominated by lawmakers old enough to be their grandparents. In November, 74 millennials and one Gen Z candidate won seats in the 119th Congress — still *checks notes* one of the oldest in US history. But the real shift is happening down-ballot, where young candidates are gaining ground on city councils and in state legislatures. After Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral primary win last week, Run for Something — a group that helps young Democrats run for office — saw 2,700 new sign-ups in just a few days, according to Axios. Republicans have their own pipeline: Another political group, Run Gen Z, backs young conservatives like 22-year-old Wyatt Gable (R-NC) and 26-year-old Amber Hulse (R-SD).

What it means: Age does matter. A YouGov poll found 67% of Americans support maximum age limits for elected officials, while the number of under-30 candidates has quietly grown over the past decade. These younger contenders aren’t just showing up with that never-known-back-pain energy — they have new priorities. Climate policy, affordable housing, and tech regulation top their agendas, reshaping political conversations in both progressive cities and conservative states. Not to mention, political organizations are making it easier to launch campaigns by offering fundraising support, training, and political networks. Sure, the generational shift won’t happen overnight (older Americans still run and win at much higher rates), but the momentum? It’s undeniable.

Related: A GOP Senator Won’t Run for Reelection in 2026, After He Made Trump Mad (NBC)